Checkrein and holder for same.



No. 803,683. PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905. A. E, FISHER. GHBGKREIN AND HOLDER FOR SAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.22, 1904.

FIG. l0.

FIG. 12.

a9. 6. 319K 14 ATTORNEY.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADAM E. FISHER, OF HANNIBAL, MISSOURI. CHEOKREIN AND HOLDER FOR SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 1905.

Application filed December 22 1904.. Serial No. 237,889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, ADAM E. FIsnER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Checkreins and Holders for Same; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in checkreins and holders for same of the class by which the driver while at his seat on the vehicle may change the tension of the checkrein and even release it to allow the horse to reach the ground with the mouth in drinking or eating; and the general object of the invention is to provide a simple and cheap but absolutely safe and efficient device of said class. This objectI attain by the novel construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the portion of a harness known as the saddle or saddletree with myimproved checkrein-holder and a portion of a checkrein mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of the device alone removed from the saddle. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are modifications of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on the line a a in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5 5 in Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a cross-section of the checkrein on the line (Z cl in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a top view of a portion of the checkrein with a modification in the means by which it is secured at various points of tension. Fig. 12 is a cross-section on the line 0 c in Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, l designates the saddle of a common harness having guiding rings or eyes 2 for the common reins or lines. Upon this saddle, as a preferred place for it, I secure by screws 3 or other means an angular metallic frame& 5, of which the vertical arm or part 5 has a horizontal slot 6, through which the checkrein 7 is slidingly inserted and with its front end 8 connected with the head of the horse in the usual manner, while the rear end 9 is extended to the seat of the driver.

The portion of the checkrein 7 that slides in the slot 6 is provided with a longitudinal row of studs 10, extending beyond one and preferably beyond both sides of the rein and are adapted to engage the vertical plate 5 above and below the narrow end of its slot 6, and thereby check the horse, while they will pass through the wider part or end of the slot when the rein is moved into that end and there enable the operator to adjust the tension of the rein as he may desire and lock it in the desired position by simply swinging it sidewise into thev narrow end of the slot.

In Figs. 11 and 12 is shown how the checking-stops upon the rein may consist of clasps or staples 11, closed tightly about the leather strap 7 and having their ends 12 driven into the leather; but possibly the form 10 shown in the other figures is the bestone. This form may be provided in several ways, like a round-headed rivet with washers 13, (see Fig. 2,) beyond which the end of therivet is spread enough to prevent its retraction, or as in Fig. 10, where the rivet 10 has its end riveted over or spread into a countersinking 14 in a hemispheric washer 15. The rounded form of these studs or stops is not necessary; but it facilitates the sliding of the rein through the slot 6, which slot and adjacent parts will now be further described.

In the present instance in all the views the end of the slot toward the right side of the driver is the one through which the rein is supposed to slide freely. It is therefore in some views provided with notches 16 for the studs 10 to move through and in other views with flaring inclines 17 for the studs and rein to slide over, as in Figs. 4 and 5, and in still other views both of said means are combined, as in Fig. 7.

Theleft-hand half of the slot 6 may simply be narrow enough to prevent the studs from passing through it and then have notches 18 in its rear edges for the studs to engage, so as to prevent accidental side motion and disengagement of the rein. For the purpose just set forth I may also use guarding projections 19 at the rear side of the frame portion 5 in place of or in addition to the notches 18.

In a preferred form of the device I provide either in the upper side of the slot, as in Fig. 5, or in the lower side, as in Figs. 6 and 7, a rearwardly-swinging locking member 20, pivoted at 21 and normally held with its free end or edge into the narrow part of the slot 6 by a weight 22 or else by a spring 23 in Fig. 7. To limit the action of such weight IIO or spring, the locking member touches the frame 5 either by a projection 24: on the member or by direct engagement, like at point 25 in Fig. 8 and 26 in Fig. 9.

In the operation of the device, if the looking member 20 is used the tension of the checkrein may be increased by simply pulling the rein rearwardly, as the locking member will tilt and allow the studs to pass rearwardly over it; but if the tension is to be decreased the operator pulls rearwardly on the rein to release the engaging stud from its engagement with the frame, and then by a slight side motion brings the rein into the end of the slot 6, where it may slide freely "forward to the desired position and be locked by a reversed side motion into the locking end of the slot. As already above described, the operation without the locker 20 is similar to that just described, except that the rein must be moved into the releasing end of the slot for both increasing and decreasing of its tension.

it will be understood that even without studs or stops on the rein it may be pinched and held between the free end of the lockingpiece 20 and the opposite edge or side of the slot, but not so accurately as with the stops.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. The combination with a frame-piece seeurable to a harness-saddle and provided with a horizontal slot vertically wider at one end than at the other, of a checkrein slidable in said slot and having a series of studs or stops adapted to pass through the Wide part of the slot and to engage the edges of the narrow part of the slot and thus hold the horses head at various elevations.

2. The combination with a frame-piece securable to a harness-saddle and provided with a horizontal slot vertically wider at one end than at the other, of a checkrein slidable in said slot and having a series of studs or stops adapted to engage the edges of the narrow part of the slot and to pass through the wide part of it, and a notch in the rear of the framepiece adjacent the narrow part of the slot, to engage the studs and prevent accidental side motion of the checkrein into the wide part of the slot.

3. The combination with a frame-piece securable to the harness-saddle and provided with a horizontal slot vertically wider at one end than at the other, of a checkrein slidable in said slot and having a series of studs or stops adapted to engage the edges of the narrow part of the slot and to pass through the wide part of it, a notch in the rear of the frame-piece adjacent to the narrow part of the slot, and a rearward projection at the side of said notch nearest to the Wide part of the slot, to engage the studs and prevent accidental motion of the rein into the wide part of the slot.

. i. The combination with a frame-piece securable to a harness-saddle and provided with a horizontal slot vertically wider at one end than at the other, of a checkrein slidable therein and having a series of studs or stops adapted to engage the edges of the narrow part of the slot and to pass through the wide part of it, notches in the rear edges adjacent to the narrow part of the slot to prevent accidental side motion of the checkrein into the wide part of the slot; said narrow part of the slot having one of its sides formed of a pivoted locking-piece, which in its normal position makes the slot as narrow as possible, but which will yield in a rearward direction so as to widen the slot, so that the rein may be given more and more tension by pulling its various studs to the rear of the locking-piece and let them lodge in the notches, and so that the tension may be reduced by moving the rein into the wide part of the slot and release it more or less before engaging it again with the said notches.

5. The combination With a frame piece adapted to be secured to the saddle of a harness and having a horizontal slot Wider in one end than in the other, of a checkrein comprising a flat strap slidable in said slot and having a longitudinal central roW of studs or stops adapted to engage the edges of the narrow part of the slot and to pass through the wide part of it; rearward projections at the edges of the slot to engage the studs and prevent accidental motion of the rein into the wide part of the slot; said Wide part of the slot having the notches 16 for the studs to pass through, so as to avoid making the frame-piece unnecessarily large.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ADAM E. FISHER.

Witnesses:

FLoDA HAYMAN FIsHER, IVLE. HAYnAN. 

